Y'all told me to just buy a couple...

Over here in the Dark Side of coin collecting, we (or I) really don't care much about the grade, we pay a great deal to whether it has good eye appeal or not. What chrsmat71 said was excellent about the first coin, that it's got a green-ish "earth tone patina". That adds to the eye appeal to me.

 

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I too like the first. Here is one of mine:

AUGUSTUS
AE19 (Semis)
OBVERSE: VIC AVG, Nike standing left on globe, holding wreath and palm
REVERSE: COHOR PRAE PHIL, three military standards
Philippi 27 BC-14 AD
3.8g, 19mm
RPC 1651, ANS 677, BMC 23, SGI 32

BTW, the green spots on this coin are mineral deposits, not BD

 

Like both coins,condition and price seem "in the ballpark" so congrats/welcome!

 

I wanted to ask a question I've been looking to get a coin from when Marcus Aurelius was in power or one from when Plato was alive. My local coin shop doesn't even bother with ancient coins at all so I really don't know where to look. I know that it's kind of shady dealing on the Internet from reading posts on here. Can you recommend somewhere that I can find something like this or a safe place that has a great reputation that deals with ancient coins? My cousin got me started in collecting just a few years ago but he's not into ancient history so he wasn't that sure and I don't want to make a huge mistake and buy something that's fake. Can you give me a tip or two or point me in the right direction???

 

You bet!

For starters, browse Vcoins. It's a conglomeration of dealers and they stand behind the authenticity of their coins. Once in a while a fake may slip through but if it does, it can be returned.

Welcome to Ancients!

 

I've made most purchases here but have bought from a vcoins dealer, FORVM Ancient Coins, and Civitas Galleries. If you're considering a coin, feel free to ask about it first but you should avoid posting a live auction.

 

Welcome, Coinman1980 .... I hope that you have a great time collecting ancient coins (they're interesting => and awesome!!)

 

I highly recommend vcoins and Forvm ancient coins. I have bought from both and I am pleased with the coins I received.

 

The best coin to represent Plato would be a middle period owl of Athens. You don't want an expensive archaic (before he was born) or popular classical (when he was young) but something from the first half of the fourth century BC. They are usually a bit cheaper than the classical ones.


Marcus Aurelius is easier since he was emperor fora long time. He wrote the Meditations between 170 and 180 AD so your interest in philosophy suggests a coin of that period. This denarius shows TRP XXV or 171 AD so anything with an older (more philosophical) portrait might be preferable. Avoid things with lower TRP numbers. Not all his coins are dated but late ones have a tired, old face which would be better for your purposes. Avoid young curly haired, bare headed portraits from his youth.


There are many good dealers certainly including those mentioned. One advantage of using a full service dealer is you can say that you are looking for a specific thing like a nice old philosopher bearded Aurelius and he might jut be able to find one for you. Special orders ill not be the cheapest. I have seen more nice late bronzes lately but silver exists. This TRP XXVII (173 AD) sestertius with emperor raising the figure of Italy might work but a nicer one will not be cheap.

 

'P-fan', Very nice


I also agree that you did very well and I lean towards the first for the same reasons TIF mentioned. "Biblical' coins, like the mite, prutah etc are often a bit rough and with less eye appeal simply by the way they were originally made and struck.

I think Doug expressed my opinions best.

I have a few of those Phillipi-Victory AE types (quadrants ?) and I'll try to post some a bit later (i.e after football).

Wonderful purchases!!!

 

Well, the definite consensus seems to be that the top piece is the favourite. Thanks for the comments, and the education. I like them both, but I agree that the top piece is easier to like.

Follow up question: coins of Judeah seem to be out of favor. Is that because Prutahs are small, common, and usually crude? Would a different coin of Judeah be more favorably looked upon, or are these coins usually just not that popular (I really don't care - I like this coin anyways, just trying to get a feel for the market). On the US side, there are definitely series that are "cool" and those that are "not" - but I don't know what they are on the ancient side.

 

I wouldn't say that prutot are out of favor... they're abundant, tiny, and usually not well-struck or in great condition... therefore affordable. They'll likely always be fairly popular. There are many other types of Judaean coins and many fervent collectors.

Here's a good site dedicated to Judaean coins, if you are interested in seeing other types: http://www.menorahcoinproject.org/

 

As TIF says, prutoh are not the least bit out of favor. There is a whole subset of collectors that avidly acquire all the varieties. No, they're not the most well-made coins in the world, but they are an important part of Levantine history. Here's a set of mine...



Collecting the prutoh of the the First Jewish-Roman War (AD 66-73) will give you the opportunity to learn how to read Paleo-Hebrew...

 

There is a definite pecking order to these. The more significantly the issuer appears in the Bible, the more demand there is for a coin of his. If we consider both Old and New Testaments (not all do) the top place goes to Pontius Pilate whose coins are much more popular than some other random Procurator. Of course his name does not appear on his coins but the marketplace treats them as special due to the vast number of Christians who know the name. All mites carry some premium over similarly scrappy bits of ugliness from other regions. Really nice looking ones definitely should be premium. There are tons of them that are worth only packaging with a card telling the story of the Widow's mite and selling to tourists.

Pontius Pilate has two major types of which I only have one. How I got it is another story but I won't be paying retail for the other type either. Nicer ones certainly exist but not in my price bracket.
http://www.acsearch.info/search.htm...s=1&currency=usd&thesaurus=1&order=0&company=

 

Of course, anyone who remembers their Sunday School remembers Pontius Pilate! (and Herod, of course).

When you say "Old Testament," who exactly are you referring to? The OT really ends 400 years before Christ.... in a completely different era.

 

Demetrios I (161-150 BC) is discussed in the books of the Maccabees, but of course, Maccabees isn't included in many canons. Still, an important player in Judaean history. AR tetradrachm...